Claustrophobia Cleared on the Way to a Casino

EFT can be done almost anywhere. Though I don't necessarily recommend it while driving, I must admit that I did it today. I drove my 91 year old mother and her dear friend “Irene”(who is in her 80's) to a casino this morning. Irene sat in front with me. She asked if I had had a bone density test, admitting that she was afraid to get one. I asked her why, and she replied that it was like an MRI, and she felt claustrophobic when she was in such close quarters. I told her that EFT could probably help her with her claustrophobia, and if she wanted, we could clear it before we got to the casino. Irene was game.

I asked her if she could remember a really bad experience when she felt closed in. She related that when she was eleven years old, she went into some very small caves with her mother, grandmother and aunt. Her grandmother had to turn back because she felt so panicky. Irene said that, just like her grandmother, she felt trapped and panicky. I asked her to imagine being in the cave now. Then I asked, "What is the intensity level that you feel right now when you think about being in that cave?" She said it was a 7 (and this was 70 years after the incident).

I had my car on cruise control at about 65 miles an hour. We were past the rush hour traffic. I had done EFT with Irene a couple of years ago, so I didn’t have to explain how it works, I just told her what to say, and reminded her where to tap. I asked her if her experience in the cave was a video, how long would it be? She said only around 10 minutes. I asked her to come up with a title of that video that would make her laugh, and she came up with “Scared Stiff”. I also reminded her that she could add cuss words if she wished, and it felt right to her.

Her set-up phrases were,

Even though:

I have uncomfortable feelings when I think about going to that cave, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
I still feel scared and panicky when I think about going in that cave…
I feel surprised that I still feel stuff around being in that cave…

We did one round of tapping using “Scared Stiff” as her reminder phrase. I also encouraged her to inhale and exhale with each point that she tapped on her body — working to get it out of her energy system. After only one round, her intensity level dropped from 7 to 4.

On her second round, she got to the point under her eye and she blurted out “Scared Shitless”. We both cracked up, so she used “Scared Shitless” as her new reminder phrase. That brought her intensity down to a 2. I asked her how she was feeling about getting an MRI, and she answered, "Not bad at all."

So, I encouraged her to do one last round, without set-up phrases, and tapping in the positive. Some of the phrases she used:

I am whole and complete
I am glad that I’ve let go of my fear of being in tight places
I am safe
I am safe—even in tight places
I am safe wherever I am
I am safe in the MRI

After the third round, I reminded her that when we started her intensity level around being in the cave was a 7, then dropped to a 4, and then a 2. "What is it now?" I asked. She reported that there was nothing there. Then I asked about her fear of feeling claustrophobic while in the MRI. With a growing sense of wonder, she replied, “I don’t have any. There is nothing there.”

She said she wouldn’t be able to tap in the MRI machine because there wasn’t enough room. I told her she could just imagine tapping her points, and that should work.

We were able to clear 70 years of fear of being in tight spots in just 20 minutes while traveling down the freeway. EFT is amazing!!!

JoAnn SkyWatcher
Ukiah, California

From the EFTfree Archives, which are now a part of EFT International .
Originally published on July 2, 2011.